Kerala High Court Seeks Reply From Pinarayi Vijayan Govt on CBI's Offer to Probe Political Killings

The petition mainly focuses on the seven murders of RSS and BJP workers in Kerala that were allegedly carried out by CPI(M) men.

Kerala BJP leaders at the ‘Janaraksha Yatra’ at Pinarayi in Kannur a few days ago. (File image: PTI)

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought reply from the Pinarayi Vijayan government on a PIL seeking CBI probe into the political killings in Kannur.

The high court bench has also directed the state government to file a counter affidavit by October 25 and the case would come up for hearing on October 30.

On Monday, both CBI and the central government informed the Kerala HC that they have no objection in taking over the investigation into the killings of BJP and RSS workers in the state.

An RSS worker was on Sunday attacked allegedly by CPI (M) workers at Muzhuppilangad Thalassery in the Kannur district of Kerala.

The petitioner, Kannur-based Gopalan Adiyodi Vakkeel Smaraka Trust's secretary RK Premdas, has said in his appeal that he has taken up the cause of the victims of these murders. The petition mainly focuses on the seven murders of RSS and BJP workers that were allegedly carried out by CPI(M) men.

Premdas has mainly referred to the killings of RSS worker Remith at Pinarayi, Kannur on October 12, the deaths of BJP leader Santhosh Kumar of Andallur in Kannur on January 18, local BJP leader CK Ramachandran of Payyannur in Kannur on July 12, RSS activist Biju on May 12 at Palakkod in Kannur and that of BJP worker Vimalaand Sri Radhakrishnan at Kanjikode in Palakkad on December 28.

It has also mentioned the murders of BJP worker Raveendran Pillai at Kadakkal in Kollam on February 2 and RSS leader Rajesh near Sreekaryam in Thiruvananthapuram on July 29.

The petition prays that the CBI should be asked to investigate the conspiracies behind these seven deaths allegedly caused by CPI(M) men since the party came into power in May last year.

Premdas has appealed saying, "In all these cases, active workers of the major constituent party of the ruling front have been arrayed as accused. In some cases, party activists from the constituency of the present chief minister, who is holding the home portfolio are involved. In all these cases, facts and circumstances clearly indicate a high-level political conspiracy behind the murders and efforts to save the real culprits.

“However, in none of these cases has the conspiracy angle been properly investigated by the state police. Moreover, in each of these cases, deliberate attempts to derail the investigation at the instance of the ruling party with the intention to save the culprits is evident."

Moreover, the petitioner has also alleged that political killings still continue in the state thanks to the ruling party activists, who are directly involved in the conspiracy. Thus, the process of law has been intentionally sabotaged by them.

The last time CBI had investigated a political killing in Kerala was that of NDF activist Muhammad Fazal in 2006, in which eight CPM members, including Kannur district panchayat member and CPM district secretariat member Karayi Rajan had been accused and arrested.

There was a twist in the probe when an RSS worker, Subeesh, who was in custody over a murder case, “confessed” that he was among a group of RSS workers who killed Fazal. Later, Subeesh retracted his statement, claiming he had been tortured by the police into making it. A special CBI court in Kochi dismissed a petition seeking further probe into the matter saying there was “enough evidence to connect the accused CPI(M) workers with the case.”